Inspired by a listener question from travel advisor Megan Vatnsdal, owner of Onyx & Evergreen Travel, Trade Secrets explores what’s going on with travel agency bookings. Join co-hosts Emma Weissmann and Jamie Biesiada in conversation with Cruise Planners’ Michelle Fee and Oasis Travel Network’s Ryan Ranahan, who offer a birds-eye view of what their advisors are experiencing right now, for the rest of the year and even into 2027 and 2028.

This episode was sponsored by National Geographic-Lindblad Expeditions.

Further resources

Cruise Planners

Oasis Travel Network

Ryan Ranahan on LinkedIn

Need advice?

Email us: tradesecrets@travelweekly.com 

 

Theme song:

Sock Hop by Kevin MacLeod

Link: https://incompetech.filmmusic.io/song/4387-sock-hop

License: https://filmmusic.io/standard-license

 

See omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

Inspired by a listener question from travel advisor Megan Vatnsdal, owner of Onyx &amp; Evergreen Travel, Trade Secrets explores what&rsquo;s going on with travel agency bookings. Join co-hosts Emma Weissmann and Jamie Biesiada in conversation with Cruise Planners&rsquo; Michelle Fee and Oasis Travel Network&rsquo;s Ryan Ranahan, who offer a birds-eye view of what their advisors are experiencing right now, for the rest of the year and even into 2027 and 2028.
This episode was sponsored by&nbsp;<a href="https://www.expeditions.com/">National Geographic-Lindblad Expeditions</a>.
<hr>
Further resources
<a href="https://www.cruiseplannersfranchise.com/">Cruise Planners</a>
<a href="https://www.oasistravelnetwork.com">Oasis Travel Network</a>
Ryan Ranahan on <a href="https://www.linkedin.com/in/ryan-ranahan-3b57988/">LinkedIn</a>
<hr>
Need advice?
Email us: <a href="mailto:tradesecrets@travelweekly.com">tradesecrets@travelweekly.com </a>
&nbsp;
Theme song:
Sock Hop by Kevin MacLeod
Link: https://incompetech.filmmusic.io/song/4387-sock-hop
License: https://filmmusic.io/standard-license
&nbsp;
See omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

Welcome to Trade Secrets, a podcast from the editors of Travel Weekly, where travel advisors ask -- and answer -- questions. On each podcast, our editors will ask a veteran travel advisor to join them and field listeners’ questions. Topics will range from business advice to industry trends, history and more — as long as it’s travel-related, we want to address it! Find Trade Secrets wherever you get your podcasts, or at travelweekly.com/podcasts.

ABOUT YOUR HOSTS:

Jamie Biesiada is a senior editor with Travel Weekly. She is an award-winning journalist, including being named the American Society of Travel Advisors’ 2019 Travel Journalist of the Year. Her roots are in community journalism, where she was the editor of several local newspapers and a regional entertainment magazine.

Emma Weissmann brings more than a decade of reporting and editing experience to her role as Features Editor at Travel Weekly, where she covers destinations and retail travel and contributes to social media, podcast and multimedia initiatives. Before joining Travel Weekly, Emma served as Editor-in-Chief of AGENTatHOME and Executive Editor of TravelAge West and hosted the Humans of Travel podcast. She also helped create and produce the Future Leaders in Travel event for early-career travel advisors.


Theme song:
Sock Hop by Kevin MacLeod
Link: https://incompetech.filmmusic.io/song/4387-sock-hop
License: https://filmmusic.io/standard-license

See omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information

Welcome to Trade Secrets, a podcast from the editors of Travel Weekly, where travel advisors ask -- and answer -- questions. On each podcast, our editors will ask a veteran travel advisor to join them and field listeners&rsquo; questions. Topics will range from business advice to industry trends, history and more &mdash; as long as it&rsquo;s travel-related, we want to address it! Find Trade Secrets wherever you get your podcasts, or at <a href="http://travelweekly.com/podcasts">travelweekly.com/podcasts</a>.
<hr>
ABOUT YOUR HOSTS:
Jamie Biesiada is a senior editor with Travel Weekly. She is an award-winning journalist, including being named the American Society of Travel Advisors&rsquo; 2019 Travel Journalist of the Year. Her roots are in community journalism, where she was the editor of several local newspapers and a regional entertainment magazine.
Emma Weissmann brings more than a decade of reporting and editing experience to her role as Features Editor at Travel Weekly, where she covers destinations and retail travel and contributes to social media, podcast and multimedia initiatives. Before joining Travel Weekly, Emma served as Editor-in-Chief of AGENTatHOME and Executive Editor of TravelAge West and hosted the&nbsp;<a href="https://www.travelagewest.com/Podcasts/Humans-of-travel">Humans of Travel</a> podcast. She also helped create and produce the Future Leaders in Travel event for early-career travel advisors.
<hr>
 Theme song: Sock Hop by Kevin MacLeod Link: <a href="https://incompetech.filmmusic.io/song/4387-sock-hop">https://incompetech.filmmusic.io/song/4387-sock-hop</a> License: <a href="https://filmmusic.io/standard-license">https://filmmusic.io/standard-license</a>
<hr>
See omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information

Trade Secrets Podcast

Trade Secrets

Are travel bookings slowing down right now? (feat. Michelle Fee and Ryan Ranahan)

What does it take to build and maintain a thriving and mutually beneficial relationship with travel suppliers? In this episode, co-hosts Emma Weissmann and Jamie Biesiada break it all down with NoteWorthy owner and managing director Nicola Butler, who describes herself as “the travel advisor’s travel advisor.” Hear Butler’s thoughts on curating a portfolio of suppliers and what suppliers are looking for from advisors right now.

This episode was sponsored by Oceania Cruises. 

Further resources

Email Nicola Butler, find her on Instagram or call her at +44 7766 806727

NoteWorthy on Instagram

Mentioned in this episode:
From Travel Weekly, DMCs help bring the ‘wow’
Churchill War Rooms
Queen Elizabeth II: Her Life in Style exhibit
The Bayeux Tapestry
The Museum Tavern, home of the “Beereux Tapestry”

Need advice?

Email us: tradesecrets@travelweekly.com 

 

Theme song:

Sock Hop by Kevin MacLeod

Link: https://incompetech.filmmusic.io/song/4387-sock-hop

License: https://filmmusic.io/standard-license

 

See omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

What does it take to build and maintain a thriving and mutually beneficial relationship with travel suppliers? In this episode, co-hosts Emma Weissmann and Jamie Biesiada break it all down with NoteWorthy owner and managing director Nicola Butler, who describes herself as &ldquo;the travel advisor&rsquo;s travel advisor.&rdquo; Hear Butler&rsquo;s thoughts on curating a portfolio of suppliers and what suppliers are looking for from advisors right now.
This episode was sponsored by <a href="https://www.oceaniacruises.com/">Oceania Cruises</a>.&nbsp;
<hr>
Further resources
<a href="mailto:nicola@noteworthy.co.uk">Email</a> Nicola Butler, find her on <a href="https://www.instagram.com/noteworthynicola">Instagram</a> or call her at +44 7766 806727
NoteWorthy on <a href="https://www.instagram.com/noteworthy.experiences/">Instagram</a>
Mentioned in this episode:
<ul>
<li aria-level="1">From Travel Weekly, <a href="https://www.travelweekly.com/Travel-News/Travel-Agent-Issues/DMCs-help-bring-the-wow">DMCs help bring the &lsquo;wow&rsquo;</a></li>
<li aria-level="1"><a href="https://www.iwm.org.uk/visits/churchill-war-rooms">Churchill War Rooms</a></li>
<li aria-level="1"><a href="https://www.rct.uk/collection/exhibitions/queen-elizabeth-ii-her-life-in-style">Queen Elizabeth II: Her Life in Style</a> exhibit</li>
<li aria-level="1"><a href="https://www.britishmuseum.org/exhibitions/bayeux-tapestry">The Bayeux Tapestry</a></li>
<li aria-level="1"><a href="https://www.greeneking.co.uk/pubs/greater-london/museum-tavern">The Museum Tavern</a>, home of the &ldquo;Beereux Tapestry&rdquo;</li>
</ul>
<hr>
Need advice?
Email us: <a href="mailto:tradesecrets@travelweekly.com">tradesecrets@travelweekly.com </a>
&nbsp;
Theme song:
Sock Hop by Kevin MacLeod
Link: https://incompetech.filmmusic.io/song/4387-sock-hop
License: https://filmmusic.io/standard-license
&nbsp;
See omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

Mastering supplier relations with ‘the travel advisor’s travel advisor’ (feat. NoteWorthy’s Nicola Butler)

Starting a career as a travel advisor is exciting, but it can also feel like drinking from a fire hose. From picking the right education programs and mastering daily organization to sending clients to a destination you’ve never set foot in — where do you even begin? On this episode of Trade Secrets, co-hosts Emma Weissmann and Jamie Biesiada sit down with Henley Vazquez, co-founder of host agency Fora, to break it all down.

Thanks to our friends at Travefy for helping us solicit travel advisor questions this season. 

This episode was sponsored by Travel Insured International. 

Further resources

Fora on the web

Fora on Instagram: Travel and community

Need advice?

 

Call our hotline and leave a message: 201-902-2098

Email us: tradesecrets@travelweekly.com 

 

Theme song:

Sock Hop by Kevin MacLeod

Link: https://incompetech.filmmusic.io/song/4387-sock-hop

License: https://filmmusic.io/standard-license

 

See omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

Starting a career as a travel advisor is exciting, but it can also feel like drinking from a fire hose. From picking the right education programs and mastering daily organization to sending clients to a destination you&rsquo;ve never set foot in &mdash; where do you even begin? On this episode of Trade Secrets, co-hosts Emma Weissmann and Jamie Biesiada sit down with Henley Vazquez, co-founder of host agency Fora, to break it all down.
Thanks to our friends at <a href="https://travefy.com/">Travefy</a> for helping us solicit travel advisor questions this season.&nbsp;
This episode was sponsored by <a href="https://www.travelinsured.com/">Travel Insured International</a>.&nbsp;
<hr>
Further resources
Fora <a href="https://www.foratravel.com/">on the web</a>
Fora on Instagram: <a href="https://www.instagram.com/foratravel">Travel</a> and <a href="https://www.instagram.com/foracommunity">community</a>
<hr>
Need advice?
&nbsp;
Call our hotline and leave a message: 201-902-2098
Email us: <a href="mailto:tradesecrets@travelweekly.com">tradesecrets@travelweekly.com </a>
&nbsp;
Theme song:
Sock Hop by Kevin MacLeod
Link: https://incompetech.filmmusic.io/song/4387-sock-hop
License: https://filmmusic.io/standard-license
&nbsp;
See omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

The newbie travel advisor’s playbook: Education, organization and selling the unknown (feat. Fora’s Henley Vazquez)

As a travel advisor or supplier, what are your most pressing legal questions? That was the question posed to attendees at Future Leaders in Travel, an event for young travel advisors and suppliers powered by Travel Weekly’s sister publication, TravelAge West.

Co-host Emma Weissmann was on-site at the event, held in late August in Mexico’s Riviera Maya, and sat down during the general session with Stephanie Hankins, an attorney and travel advisor at Fora, to tackle attendees’ legal questions. Hankins addresses the importance of creating iron-clad terms and conditions, how to properly classify independent contractors, how to protect yourself against fraud, the ethics of using AI and the question she most frequently receives from suppliers.

This episode was recorded live, on-site, at Future Leaders in Travel, during the event’s general session on August 26.

This episode was sponsored by Travel Insured International. 

Further resources
Ment Law Group
Hankins on Instagram
Future Leaders in Travel
TravelAge West

Need advice?

Call our hotline and leave a message: 201-902-2098

Email us: tradesecrets@travelweekly.com 

 

Theme song:

Sock Hop by Kevin MacLeod

Link: https://incompetech.filmmusic.io/song/4387-sock-hop

License: https://filmmusic.io/standard-license

 

See omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

As a travel advisor or supplier, what are your most pressing legal questions? That was the question posed to attendees at Future Leaders in Travel, an event for young travel advisors and suppliers powered by Travel Weekly&rsquo;s sister publication, TravelAge West.
Co-host Emma Weissmann was on-site at the event, held in late August in Mexico&rsquo;s Riviera Maya, and sat down during the general session with Stephanie Hankins, an attorney and travel advisor at Fora, to tackle attendees&rsquo; legal questions. Hankins addresses the importance of creating iron-clad terms and conditions, how to properly classify independent contractors, how to protect yourself against fraud, the ethics of using AI and the question she most frequently receives from suppliers.
This episode was recorded live, on-site, at Future Leaders in Travel, during the event&rsquo;s general session on August 26.
This episode was sponsored by <a href="https://www.travelinsured.com/">Travel Insured International</a>.&nbsp;
<hr>
Further resources
<ul>
<li aria-level="1"><a href="https://www.mentlaw.com/">Ment Law Group</a></li>
<li aria-level="1">Hankins on <a href="https://www.instagram.com/hankinsonthegeaux/">Instagram</a></li>
<li aria-level="1"><a href="https://www.futureleadersintravel.com/">Future Leaders in Travel</a></li>
<li aria-level="1"><a href="https://www.travelagewest.com">TravelAge West</a></li>
</ul>
Need advice?
Call our hotline and leave a message: 201-902-2098
Email us: <a href="mailto:tradesecrets@travelweekly.com">tradesecrets@travelweekly.com </a>
&nbsp;
Theme song:
Sock Hop by Kevin MacLeod
Link: https://incompetech.filmmusic.io/song/4387-sock-hop
License: https://filmmusic.io/standard-license
&nbsp;
See omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

Are travel bookings slowing down right now? (feat. Michelle Fee and Ryan Ranahan)

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